When You Remember
30 1 When all these things happen to you—the blessing and the curse I have set before you—and you remember them among all the nations where your Father has driven you, 2 and you return to your Father and obey him in all I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 Then your Father will restore you from captivity, his heart will turn toward you with compassion, and gather you again from all the peoples where your Father has scattered you. 4 If you're scattered to the ends of the heavens, from there your Father will gather you, from there he will take you. 5 Your Father will bring you to the land your fathers possessed; you will possess it, and he will bless and multiply you more than your fathers. 6 Your Father will circumcise your heart and your offspring's heart, to love your Father with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. a a v6 Our Father promises to do the inward work himself — changing the heart so his children can truly love him. This is the heart-transformation the new covenant fulfills, when the Spirit writes love into us. 7 Your Father will bring all these curses on your enemies and on those who hated and pursued you. 8 You will again obey your Father's voice, doing all his commands I command today. 9 Your Father will bless you abundantly in all your handiwork, in the fruit of your womb, the fruit of your livestock, and the fruit of your ground, for good. For your Father will again delight in you for good, as he delighted in your fathers, 10 when you obey the voice of your Father, keeping his commands and statutes written in this Book of the Law, and turn to your Father with all your heart and with all your soul.
Closer Than You Think
11 This commandment I command you today isn't too hard for you, nor too far away. 12 It isn't in heaven, that you'd say, 'Who will go up to heaven for us, get it, and bring it to us, so we may hear it and do it?' 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will cross the sea, bring it to us, so we may hear and do it?' 14 For the word is very near you, in your mouth and heart, to do it. b b v14 Paul takes up this verse to describe the gospel itself — the word of faith near us, in our mouth and heart, by which we trust in Jesus and are saved. 15 See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16 If you obey your Father's commands today—loving him, walking in his ways, keeping his commands, statutes, and rules—you will live, multiply, and he will bless you in the land you're entering to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away, refusing to listen, and you are lured into bowing before other gods and serving them, 18 I declare to you today: you will surely perish, not live long in the land you're crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 Today I call the heavens and earth to witness against you: I've set life and death before you, blessing and curse. Choose life, so you and your children may live. 20 loving your Father, obeying his voice, and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of your days, so you may live in the land your Father swore to your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.
